We can rebuild them: TTC to winterize streetcars from ground up
Posted December 1, 2015 5:59 am.
Last Updated December 1, 2015 2:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Gentlemen, we can rebuild them.
It’s not known if it will cost $6 million to repair the TTC’s older streetcar fleet for the colder weather, but the money will be absorbed in the current operating budget, TTC spokesman Brad Ross said at the Roncesvalles Carhouse on Tuesday.
The Toronto Transit Commission is in the process of overhauling its ‘accordion’ streetcars, known as articulated light-rail vehicles or ALRVs.
The ALRVs are the ones that fail in the cold winter months, when it gets to -15 C and -25 C, Ross said. It’s due to leaking airlines and heating systems.
“It’s an overhaul program … to address not just pneumatic air and heating systems but floors. Basically, rebuilding some of our cars,” he said.
“We only have 11 of the new low-floor streetcars. We anticipated having more … which would have negated the need for this program. The new cars have performed exceedingly well in the cold winter months,” Ross said.
In October, Bombardier admitted there would be another delay in delivering the new streetcars. The company had committed in July that it would have 20 cars available for service by the end of this year but is now saying the best it can do is 16.
Last year, a number of streetcars were replaced by shuttle buses for days because of frozen brake lines and doors.
The TTC says their older streetcar models just can’t handle the bitter weather, especially if the temperature is below -15 C.
In January alone, 203 older streetcars were knocked out of service.
The TTC is hoping to prevent streetcar breakdowns this time around.
